US urges more sanctions against Syria

The United States pressed Tuesday for more international sanctions against Syria over its crackdown on pro-democracy protests, conceding it has abandoned a bid to engage Damascus. State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland highlighted the toughening US and international stance, saying Syrian President Bashar al-Assad seemed deaf to calls from around the world to end the bloodshed. "It is deeply regrettable that President Assad does not seem to be hearing the increasingly loud voice of the international community, a voice of concern that is now growing in strength, in volume and in number of countries making their views known," Nuland told reporters. Russia has taken a tougher line against Syria since it sent tanks into the revolt hub of Hama. Assad has pledged to pursue a relentless battle against "terrorist groups" he claims are behind the protests. And, following calls from the United States, the 22-member Arab League and Gulf Arab states have now taken a firmer line against Syria, an unprecedented move since the uprising began nearly six months ago. Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Bahrain also withdrew their ambassadors from Damascus. "The political condemnation is growing," Nuland said, recalling that the United States and other countries have imposed "significant sanctions" on Assad and members of his regime. "We want to continue to work with our partners, and particularly those with continuing economic interest in Syria, to strengthen those sanctions... We still believe that further action in the UN would be helpful." The UN Security Council last week condemned Syria's deadly attacks on civilians and, in its first statement on the crackdown, called for those responsible to be held "accountable." Nuland said senior State Department official Fred Hof has been visiting European countries and Turkey, a neighbor of Syria, to discuss further economic pressure against Damascus, "particularly" sanctions. Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu was in Syria to pass on the international message to Assad, according to Nuland, who said US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton expects the Turk to brief her on his visit. After President Barack Obama took office in January 2009, his administration launched a policy to engage Syria, a longtime foe, in hopes of securing a comprehensive Arab-Israeli peace and driving a wedge between Syria and its ally Iran. "In the case of Syria, the message from 2009 was if you are prepared to open Syria politically, if you are prepared to be a reformer, if you are prepared to work with us on Middle East peace and other issues we share, we can have a new and different kind of partnership," Nuland said But "that is not the path that Assad chose," she added. She said Washington was now keeping its first US ambassador to be posted to Syria since 2005, Robert Ford, in Damascus to relay the US message to the Syrians. "But our message is not going to change, that what he's (Assad is) doing is disgusting, is abhorrent, is dangerous and is taking his country in the wrong direction," Nuland said, ruling out engagement on political and regional issues. "You can't have any kind of partnership with a regime that does this kind of thing to innocents. So I wouldn't use the 'P' word with regard to where we are today at all."